Kennett ready for huge Saturday showdown

By PETER DiGIOVANNI
cpn11716@comcast.net

Saturday will bring a huge football game to the southern part of the county when Unionville will try to win its first Ches-Mont League title in four years when they take on the host Kennett Blue Demons. Unionville finally defeated West Chester Rustin this season, and the Indians had to think the title was theirs after that much-needed victory.
After all, the Golden Knights had been the big thorn in head coach Pat Clark’s crew’s side for four long years. But this season Unionville won the always close contest and it looked like the title was finally theirs.
But, wait just a minute. It is the last day of the regular season and the title is still up for grabs. If Unionville loses to Kennett on Saturday, then it could be a three-way share of the title and the Indians will defintely be on the road next week in the Class AAAA playoffs.
Yes, that’s right. Kennett would share a piece of the Ches-Mont title and most likely be in the Class AAAA playoffs for the first time in school history. It used to be that the rest of the American Division was a slam dunk for the Indians and Rustin, but no more.
Kennett head coach Scott Green is in his third year at the helm of the Blue Demons. Green’s charges bring a 7-2 record into the final week of the season, and are a legitimate challenger to the Indians’ title hopes.
Green came from Garnet Valley and quickly established the triple option at Kennett. There were other chages also to the Kennett program. Green took the nonleague schedule back a little from the days when then head coach Jim Donato played anyone around, no matter how tough a challenge for his fledgling program.
And it has worked. Green wanted to instill confidence in his plan and confidence in his kids. It all has worked well and now sitting at 7-2, the Blue Demons have a chance to shake up the Ches-Mont and District 1 with a win over the Indians.
I really do not know if the Blue demons can make this happpen or not, but to have Kennett in this position on the last day of the regular season is a big accomplishment for Green and his staff. Kennett has a big-time bruising running back in Jordan Lardini, who leads the county in rushing, and a very good offensive line anchored by Ray Maxwell and Shawn Ennis.
And the Blue demons believe that they can do it. They are not satisfied with just coming to the dance. They want to beat Unionville and make the playoffs and put Kennett football squarely on the District 1 map.
Green said it will be business as usual this week for his team and that they do not feel thay have accomplished anything yet.
In reality, they certainly have. They have teams and fans and officials taking notice. And if they can defeat another good, well-coached Unionville team, then people outside the county will know who they are.
Then, it will be business as usual for the future.